Ceramics are very versatile in their industrial use ranging from applications in engine components, frames, etc. The properties of ceramic materials are based on many factors including, for example, the types of atoms, the bonding between the atoms, and the packaging of the atoms. For example, ceramics usually have a combination of ionic and covalent bonds. The covalent bond typically results in high elastic modulus and hardness, high melting points, low thermal expansion, and good chemical resistance.
More specifically, due to ceramic materials wide range of properties, they can exhibit the following characteristics: (i) hard, (ii) wear-resistant, (iii) brittle, (iv) refractory, (v) thermal and electrical insulators, (v) nonmagnetic, (vi) oxidation resistant, (vii) prone to thermal shock, and (viii) chemically stable. Ceramics are thus known to have excellent optical, mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties. In fact, polycrystalline ceramics exhibit extraordinary properties that cannot be reached by glasses due to its high strength. It is a combination of these properties that make ceramics very versatile in their industrial use.